Although he’s featured in The Expendables 2, I’m counting Arnold Schwarzenegger’s true return to action as a lead in The Last Stand. Thankfully he’s got some major talent backing him up behind the camera, as The Good, The Bad, The Weird and I Saw the Devil director Kim Ji-woon‘s is making his Hollywood debut here.

We’ve got the first trailer today, which is packed with the one-liners we’ve been missing from the Terminator star as well as some pretty impressive action. The film sees the action icon as a Sheriff of a small town he must protect when it comes overrun with criminals and I can certainly see the Die Hard and High Noon comparisons. I’ve been a bit wary due to the January release timeframe, but this one may deliver on some simple, kick-ass fun. Check out the trailer below via Apple.

Synopsis:

After leaving his LAPD narcotics post following a bungled operation that left him wracked with remorse and regret, Sheriff Ray Owens (Schwarzenegger) moved out of Los Angeles and settled into a life fighting what little crime takes place in sleepy border town Sommerton Junction. But that peaceful existence is shattered when Gabriel Cortez (Eduardo Noriega), the most notorious, wanted drug kingpin in the western hemisphere, makes a deadly yet spectacular escape from an FBI prisoner convoy. With the help of a fierce band of lawless mercenaries led by the icy Burrell (Peter Stormare), Cortez begins racing towards the US-Mexico border at 250 mph in a specially-outfitted Corvette ZR1 with a hostage in tow. Cortez’ path: straight through Summerton Junction, where the whole of the U.S. law enforcement, including Agent John Bannister (Forest Whitaker) will have their final opportunity to intercept him before the violent fugitive slips across the border forever. At first reluctant to become involved, and then counted out because of the perceived ineptitude of his small town force, Owens ultimately rallies his team and takes the matter into his own hands, setting the stage for a classic showdown.

Also starring Forest Whitaker, Johnny Knoxville, Jaimie Alexander, Luis Guzman, Peter Stormare and Genesis Rodriguez, The Last Stand arrives on January 18th, 2013.